About Us

The Wells

A Well is a Christ-centered environment that facilitates transformation. Organized around a particular calling, these Wells invite people into a deeper relationship with Jesus and one another. Those answering the call become part of a community that edifies, supports, and equips them in order to continue living on mission.

Vision, Mission and Values

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Mission Statement

We exist to equip every believer to live as sent people
in order to reach our neighborhoods, cities, and the world with the gospel.

Vision Statement

To reach sun scorched places with the living water of
Christ.

Values

As You Go (Missio Dei) 

We are joining in Jesus’ mission.

Making Disciples (Imago Christi) 

We are becoming like Jesus.

Crossing Boundaries (Imago Dei)

We are following Jesus across all
boundaries.

Obedience

We are doing the things Jesus did.

See More About Gem City

Mission Statement

To create a Christ-centered safe space where our community can connect, individuals grow in grace, and everyone is treated with dignity.

Vision Statement

To empower individuals toward
strong and stable lives.

Values

Honoring dignity for all

Recognizing the Imago Dei (God’s
Image) in every individual

Growing in Grace

Always be forgiving, gentle, and
patient

Providing a safe space

Low barrier. Easy access. Clean
& organized

Connecting with others

Foster meaningful relationships
through empathy, trust, and support

See More About The Connection Center

Mission Statement

Solid Grounds exists to cultivate community through great coffee, genuine hospitality, meaningful relationships, and opportunities for people to connect, contribute, and grow.

Vision Statement

A welcoming place where relationships grow, people belong, and community flourishes.

Values

Hospitality — Philoxenia

Hospitality, or philoxenia—“love toward the stranger”—means intentionally creating a place where every person is welcomed warmly, known by name, heard, served generously, given a place at the table, and treated with dignity.

Belonging

There is a place for you here—where people from every walk of life can gather, build authentic relationships, and know they belong without having to become something before they are welcomed.

Community

We are better together—investing in Jellico, celebrating what makes our community unique, supporting our neighbors, and working alongside local businesses, organizations, churches, schools, and residents for the good of the place we call home.

Contribution

Everyone has something to offer—we believe every person has gifts, experiences, and abilities to share, and we create opportunities for people not only to receive but to participate, serve, work, create, and contribute to the flourishing of others.

Excellence

People are worth our best—we pursue quality and consistency in everything from the coffee we serve to the cleanliness of our space and the way we treat our guests, knowing excellence isn’t perfection but caring enough to do ordinary things well.

Restoration

We believe in what people and places can become—we believe brokenness does not have the final word, and through relationships, meaningful work, opportunity, and community, we cultivate an environment where people can grow and our community can flourish.

See More About Solid Grounds Coffee Shop

Transitional Living

Mission Statment

To provide a clean, safe, and structured environment where men can grow spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically while developing the skills, responsibility, and confidence needed for lasting recovery

Vision Statement

To build an environment where individuals become healthy, responsible, and purposeful members of society, equipped to live lives of lasting sobriety and meaningful contribution.”

Values

Honor and dignity for all 

Connection 

Safety 

Accountability 

Grace 


More About Transitional Living

“The Lord will guide you always… You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” — Isaiah 58:11

Meet the Board Members

Mission

To be the Church by creating Christ centered spaces that facilitate transformation.

Vision

From Sun-Scorched to Well-Watered

Values

Christ-Centered   

Jesus is at the center of everything we do.

Compassion for the Marginalized 

We have a heart for those on the edges of society.  

Humility

We desire to be humble like Jesus.

Dignity for All   

Everyone is made in the image of God and deserves dignity.

Unity

We desire to be unified in the Mission of God with all who hold the essentials of the faith.

Our Story

Cliff Branam sat with his Bible listening to the storm falling on the skylight above. It was a hard, heavy rain. His thoughts, heavy like the storm, wandered to a little girl named Crystal, whom he had seen earlier that day while out feeding homeless people. What was she doing while it rained? Was she scared?

He thought of his own daughter asleep down the hall, in a comfortable bed, tucked in with a loving father to care for her. What was it like for Crystal to be with homeless grandparents who were addicted to heroin?

The campsite centered around a fire pit full of cans, heroin needles, and burned junk. The place where Crystal’s grandparents were squatting—no place a child should ever have to live. How did Crystal end up in a situation like this? What were the causes?

“Lord, what do you want me to do?”

This encounter with Crystal led Cliff to seek out the root cause of Crystal’s plight. The statistics surrounding absent-father households were staggering. Study after study linked fatherlessness to higher rates of poverty, drug abuse, homelessness, crime, depression, and school dropout rates. Children without stable fathers were far more likely to suffer abuse, battle addiction, or end up incarcerated.

What was the cause of fatherless homes? One of the biggest problems in Appalachia was, and still is, substance abuse. Drug addiction is deeply tied to the cycle of fatherlessness. Substance misuse shatters families and communities. Combine this with other systemic problems like poverty and poor education, and you have a recipe for hopelessness.

To help Crystal and others like her, Cliff felt compelled by the Lord to address the deeper issues of his community. Starting with a Men’s Recovery Center, Cliff founded Springs of Life Network in 2014. However, Springs of Life Network isn’t only addressing addiction, but is a holistic network seeking to redeem the city. What started with a recovery program has blossomed into three new wells: The Connection Center. Solid Grounds Coffee Shop and Gem City Gathering. (See their pages for more info.)

The Connection CenterSolid Grounds Coffee ShopGem City Gathering

The goal of the organization was, and is, to cultivate Wells in the community. We define a Well as a Christ-centered environment that facilitates transformation. We hope these Wells will saturate the ground of our city with the good news of Jesus and His life-giving water.

Jellico was once called “The Gem City.” It was an economic boomtown during the height of the coal industry, but its golden era has long faded. Springs of Life wants to redeem the name by giving the city the hope only found in Jesus.